Strides Shasun has announced that it has completed WHO prequalification for 100mg rectal artesunate suppositories (RAS) for the pre-referral management of severe malaria. This prequalification enables countries to procure life-saving RAS with donor funding, ensuring increased access to potentially life-saving intervention.
Severe malaria can kill within 24 hours if left untreated. WHO TDR’s 2009 study demonstrated that a single dose of RAS 100mg can halve the likelihood of disability and death for young patients who are unable to access WHO-preferred first-line treatment for severe malaria, injectable artesunate (Inj AS), within 6 hours.
The company has said that they have collaborated with MMV and Unitaid on this project and this is their novel-delivery soft-gel artesunate suppositories to be indicated for use in children suffering from severe malaria.
The company will now leverage its significant presence in Africa to register and distribute this product. The dossiers has been submitted in 25 countries. This is the second approval for Strides’ RAS product from the WHO prequalification programme and expands access to this important life-saving intervention.
This approval will help Strides to boost its Africa business which has lately come in pressure
